SafetyNet 342

SafetyNet 342, October 7, 2015
Welcome to SafetyNet – apart from the usual variety of news and research items,
if you're an elected HSR in Victoria, we remind you to get cracking on
registering to come to the VTHC HSR Conference on October 27. Also, please send
me your views and any questions you might have to ohsinfo@vthc.org.au .. and follow us on Twitter: @OHSrepsThank
you! Renata

Union News

Calling
ALL HSRs! VTHC Health and Safety Reps Conference – October 27
HSRs: Remember you must give your employer at least two weeks' notice that
you're going to attend the VTHC HSR Conference on Tuesday October 27. The
Conference program has been approved by WorkSafe under s69(1)(d) of the OHS Act
and so your employer must allow you as the HSR time off with pay to attend on
the day. Deputy HSRs do not have an entitlement to attend under the Act – but
are welcome if they have made arrangements with their employer to attend. The day goes from 8.30am – 4pm, and is being
held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre; South Wharf,
Melbourne. It will be a great opportunity to meet other HSRs, skill up
and learn how to advocate for safer workplaces.
We can guarantee a great day. Morning tea and lunch are provided – but
you MUST register. Register directly on this page of WorkSafe Victoria
Health and Safety Week website. If you would prefer to register by phone,
either contact your union who will arrange registration, or ring WorkSafe's
Advisory Service on 9641 1444 or toll free 1800 136 089. More
information, and to download a flyer go to this page on the OHS Reps @ Work website. If you have any issues, then email Renata

Trained at the VTHC? Your views wanted!If
you've ever attended an HSR course (either the five day or the Refresher
course) at the VTHC OHS Training Unit, we'd like to hear your thoughts about
the course. Please email your views or thoughts to Amy Jenkins.Thank you so much!

West Gate Bridge disaster: 45 year anniversaryThursday 15 October this year marks
45 years since the collapse of a portion of the West Gate Bridge. 35 workers
were killed and dozens more injured when, at 11.50am on 15 October 1970, two
years into its construction, the 365 ft (112m) 2000-tonne span between piers 10
and 11 of the West Gate Bridge collapsed and fell 164 ft (50m) onto the muddy
edge of the Yarra River below. It was
Victoria's worst industrial disaster and remains so even today.

A Memorial Plaque, paid for and
erected by the surviving bridge workers, was unveiled on 15 October 1978 in
honour and memory of their 35 work mates who died as a result of the bridge's
collapse. The Memorial Plaque is now within the memorial park at Spotswood on
Douglas Parade directly below the bridge.
Each year the CFMEU, AMWU and other unions hold a commemoration ceremony
with the observation of a minute's silence and wreath laying ceremony. Everyone is invited to attend this year's
ceremony at which CFMEU Victorian Secretary John Setka and AMWU Victorian
Secretary Steve Dargavel will address families, friends and workmates. Read more: West Gate Bridge Memorial; A section on the Public Record Office Victoria website Disaster at West Gate: The West Gate Bridge
Collapse of 1970

Chief of 7-Eleven resigns from BoardFollowing the Four Corners program
and Fairfax investigation, the chairman and billionaire boss of 7-Eleven Russ Withers
has resigned from the company's board, as has the chief executive Warren
Wilmot. New chairman Michael Smith, who has been on the board since 1999 and
deputy chair since August 2014, has been tasked with fixing the problem and
mending the company's damaged reputation. Mr Smith told Fairfax Media that he
had been 'horrified' by the extent of the wage fraud and exploitation of
workers at 7-Eleven. Read more: The Age Business

The federal Opposition has called for
the Turnbull Government to investigate allegations of exploitation of Subclass
417 holiday and student visa workers that continue to emerge with regard to
both 7-Eleven and Baiada. Shadow
minister for employment, Brendan O'Connor and acting shadow minister for
immigration, David Feeney, released a joint statement saying Labor is deeply
concerned about the extent of the allegations and that the government needs to
"take action". The statement referred to a joint Fairfax NMdia and Monash
University report revealing illegal underpayment and exploitation of oversea workers
is rife across a broad range of sectors, including the hospitality and retail
industries.

While in government, Labor amended
the Migration Act putting in place an
enforcement strategy to curtail illegal work hire practices by imposing
sanctions on employers and labour suppliers who engaged in illegal activities.
"Australia's temporary work visa program must operate with an assurance to
the community that robust safeguards are in place to protect all workers. It
must not be used as a back door avenue to source cheap labour on conditions the
community would find appalling," said the statement.Source: Workplace Express

Ask Renata

Hi Renata,

I was wondering
whether I can be made to drive a forklift at without a license - or can I
refuse?

Hello – I see that you are in NSW.
Forklifts are dangerous pieces of plant, and incidents involving
forklifts often result in serious injuries and even fatalities. Consequently, under
all state and territory OHS/WHS regulations, including those of NSW, a person must
hold a licence in order to operate a forklift (see this page on the NSW
regulator's site and the page on Forklift Safety our site)

This means it's illegal for your employer to require a person without
a licence to operate a forklift - this is breaking the law. You, or anyone else
without a licence, not only has the right to refuse to do so, but a duty to do
so. Anyone who operates a forklift without a licence is also breaking the law. The
only exception is when someone is in training and is permitted to operate a
forklift without a licence until such time as that person is competent enough
to be assessed. The trainee must be within
sight and sound of a licensed operator at all times. It is not sufficient
that there is a licensed operator SOMEWHERE on the premises.

Please send any OHS related queries
in to 'Ask Renata' - your query will be responded to as quickly as we can – usually
within a couple of days.

Asbestos
News Residents angered by dumped asbestosLast week supplier SoilWorx delivered crushed rock material with contained asbestos to a residential building site in Williams Landing, a suburb in Melbourne's west, just metres from existing homes. It's has been reported to WorkSafe that several other western suburb building sites are also believed to have received deliveries of the asbestos-laced material from the same supplier. Both the supplier and the builder Burbank, reacted quickly. Burbank ceased all works on the sites until the supplier provided a clearance certificate confirming that the unauthorised material had been completely removed. This is another example of asbestos in products and materials where it certainly shouldn't be. Read more: The Herald Sun

NSW: Building products
with asbestos found in NSWA
feature article published last week investigated allegations that asbestos
waste removed by workers for WestConnex, one of the biggest infrastructure
projects in New South Wales, was being illegally dumped at a landfill site in
Western Sydney. Members of the WestConnex Action Group, concerned about the
environmental hazards being created by the failure of WestConnex employees to
comply with asbestos regulations, mounted another protest over the weekend.
Previously they reported multiple breaches of the asbestos regulations to state
and local authorities which are jointly responsible for the site. Read more: WestConnex's
Asbestos Problem New Matilda. Source: IBAS

Queensland: Worker in
adjacent building contracts asbestos related disease and compensated A
worker exposed to asbestos dust while working in an office adjacent to the
Brisbane Expo 88 demolition site in the mid-1980s, and who contracted an asbestos related disease, was recently awarded a
"six figure" workers' compensation lump sum payment in a confidential
settlement. The 55 year old woman said
that dust from old fibro homes and pipes at the site, being prepared for the
1988 event, coated her desk, clothes and car by the end of every work day, and
her employer, GTE Directories Pty Ltd, never warned her of the potential
dangers of asbestos exposure.

Martin
Rogalski, from Slater and Gordon Lawyers', who represented the worker, said her
case was an example of the "third wave" of asbestos exposure, whose
victims included demolition workers and home renovators. He said construction,
automotive and other workers were also still at risk, while six common sources
of asbestos exposure that many people weren't aware of were:

Being near non-compliant demolition and construction sites, factories and asbestos mines;

Performing DIY renovations, especially on houses built before the mid-1980s, or on products made from bonded asbestos cement, such as fibro sheeting, pipes, roof shingles, guttering, drywall and insulation;

Washing clothes worn be people exposed to asbestos;

Contacting debris from bushfires, cyclones, floods and other natural disasters;

Entering rubbish dumps that don't handle asbestos waste according to regulations; and

Being in old or disused parks, especially children's playgrounds that have fallen into disrepair.

Source: OHS Alert

ASEA 2nd International Asbestos ConferenceRemember ASEA's second International Conference on Asbestos Awareness and Management, 22 - 24 November at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in South Brisbane. Both the President and the Vice-president of asbestoswise will be presenting at the conference, and as Secretary of asbestoswise, Renata will also be attending . Go to this page to check it out. Read more: ASEA Conference
page and to register.

EU: Shocking new
estimate of the asbestos death toll
Over 47,000 people in the European Union are dying of asbestos related
conditions each year with the UK having the most fatalities, a new report has
concluded. 'Eliminating occupational
cancer in Europe', published this week by the European Trade Union
Institute (ETUI), puts deaths caused by exposure to asbestos at three times
previous estimates. It indicates the real toll is higher still, as certain
asbestos related cancers are excluded from the calculation, as are those caused
by environmental and domestic exposures. The report has led to calls from
asbestos victims' advocacy groups for a renewed effort to stem the future toll.
Laurie Kazan-Allen, coordinator of the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat,
said: "Time and again, civil society groups have pressed the European
Commission and European Union to take coordinated and decisive action on the
asbestos hazard. The political will to engage with this crisis has been sorely
lacking." She added: "In the light of the new data, the authorities should make
good on their promise to constitute a European Asbestos Taskforce as a matter
of utmost urgency." Graham Dring, chair of the Asbestos Victims Support Groups
Forum UK, said: "Despite regulations and guidelines on minimising asbestos
exposures in the UK, hazardous exposures at work, school and home remain a fact
of life. Unless the government agrees to implement a national policy of
asbestos eradication, the UK will continue to see an increase in avoidable
asbestos-related deaths at a time when we already have the worst asbestos
mortality rates in the world."Read more: Survival
patterns in lung and pleural cancer in Europe 1999-2007: Results from the
EUROCARE-5 study IBAS news release [pdf]; Eliminating occupational cancer in Europe [pdf]; ETUI, 29 September 2015. ETUI asbestos
webpages Sources: Risks 722;
IBAS

UK: Asbestos – What
would Shakespeare say?Laurie Kazan-Allen has presented a paper at Mesothelioma UK's 10th Patients and Carer Day, which was held in Stratford-upon-Avon on October 2, 2015, entitled: Asbestos – What Would Shakespeare Say? The presentation examined the history of the global asbestos industry and highlighted explosive new mortality data; the author considered how Britain's most renowned dramatist might have reacted to the deadly epidemic taking hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Examples of recent grassroots activities undertaken in Colombia, India, Vietnam and South Africa were discussed with the speaker reaffirming the commitment of the global ban asbestos movement to an asbestos-free future. Read the full article [pdf] Source: IBAS

Want to know about Asbestos laws and more? Go to
the Asbestos sectionon the site.

Summer and skin cancer It looks like it's going to be a very hot summer, with Melbourne
and other cities already clocking up days of 30 degree plus temperatures and
burning sunlight. If you or your Designated Work Group members are going to be
at risk of being exposed to UV radiation, and you haven't yet raised the issue
with your employer, then consider also getting advice from Cancer Council
Victoria. CCV's SunSmart program offers workplace training sessions to help
educate organisations and their workers about the harmful effects of UV
radiation. Delivered by trained
educators, these include an overview of skin cancer and UV-related injuries,
practical solutions to reduce UV risk in the workplace, a guide to skin checks,
and the optional inclusion of a skin scanner that reveals hidden UV damage.

Childcare workers getting injured According
to recently released WorkSafe Victoria figures, more than 300 workers are
seriously injured every year in Victorian childcare centres and preschools.
This represents a steady rise in the number claims made by childcare and
preschool staff between 2010 and 2015, with an average of 347 claims per
year. Not surprisingly, the most common
injuries were manual handling related, causing injuries to the musculoskeletal
system with 767 recorded over the five-year period. This was followed by
injuries to joints, muscles and tendons (289) and mental disorders, that is
stress (265). The majority of injuries reported were caused by body stress,
falls, trips and slips.

WorkSafe's
Peter Flaherty said inspectors had made 31 visits to childcare centres in
Victoria over the past year in response to specific incidents. "While employers
are responsible for having systems and processes in place to reduce the health
and safety risks to employees, WorkSafe has worked with key organisations to
produce kits which offer a range of practical measures to reduce manual
handling injuries," Mr Flaherty said. Most injuries were caused by lifting
children in and out of cots and highchairs, on and off change tables, moving
supplies and play equipment, he said.Read more: The
Leader

International Union News
UK: Union guide for supporting workers with cancer at work To coincide with the UK's Cancer month, the TUC – the UK's peak union
council has issued guidance for union representatives, employees, line managers
and employers for how best to support colleagues with cancer at work. The TUC
advice for reps covers five fundamental principles:

Confidentiality

Flexibility

Keeping in touch

Return to work

Wider support

TUC
General Secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Everyone dreads a cancer diagnosis. It
now affects one in three people, and each year in the UK there are approximately
90,000 people of working age who find out that they have cancer. The chances
are that one of your colleagues or someone in your business will be affected –
either directly through being ill themselves or through a close relative having
the disease.Read more: TUC Press Release. The
publication "Cancer in the Workplace: A workbook
for union representatives" can be downloaded from this
page

UK: Cancer hazards updatesFantastic OHS resource Hazards
magazine has a work cancer hazards website which has the
latest updates on asbestos, diesel exhaust fumes and passive smoking. Check it
out now and use it as a resource.

Global: New union tools to fight
toxic workOccupational exposures to chemical hazards – and how to identify
them and avoid them – is the topic of new resources launched last week at a
major international conference. The fourth session of the International
Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM4) considered next steps towards a
previously agreed 2020 goal of ensuring all chemicals are produced and used in
ways that minimise significant adverse impacts on human health and the
environment. A new video and publication, produced by Sustainlabour and the
international union confederation ITUC, outlines trade union demands and spell
out what unions are already doing to reduce risks to workers and to accelerate
sustainable management of chemicals at work. Read more: Supporting SAICM implementation through fighting
toxic work: Unions for a sustainable management of chemicals,Sustainlabour/ITUC, September 2015. Related video and ICCM4. Related
video resource: The true
costs of the chemical industry's products, IPEN, September 2015.

Consolidated
list of banned pesticidesPesticide Action Network (PAN), comprising over 600
non-governmental organisations, institutions and individuals in over 90
countries, has released 'The Consolidated List of Banned Pesticides'. The newly
compiled list shows whether these pesticides are regarded as highly hazardous
pesticides (HHPs) by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health
Organisation. As of July 2015, of the 98 countries on which PAN could collect
data, one or more had banned a total of 316 pesticide active ingredients. In
addition, the European Union refused approval for a further 53 pesticides that
meet the PAN criteria for an HHP. "Effective alternatives to HHPs exist, and it
is a lack of political will that is hampering progress on banning HHPs and
moving towards safer agricultural practices not relying on such pesticides,"
said Dr Meriel Watts, senior scientist from PAN Asia and the Pacific, who
compiled this list. The Consolidated List of Banned
Pesticides, PAN, 2015.

Malaysia: Unions want employers to let workers stay home Acrid smoke billowing from agricultural fires in Indonesia has caused
a spike in air pollution in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur this week, causing
the Malaysian government to order all schools to close for two days. The
choking haze blanketing a large swathe of south-east Asia is on track to become
the worst on record. The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has called on employers
to allow smog-affected workers to stay away from work until air quality in the
country improves. Parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have been shrouded
for weeks in a choking haze drifting from fires on Indonesia's Sumatra island.
MTUC deputy secretary-general A Balasubramaniam said: "Private sector employers
should be lenient enough to grant unrecorded leave for their employees at a
time when the haze situation is worsening. Employers should also provide free
face masks for their employees who are affected by the haze and ensure they do
not engage in any outdoor activities." He added: "We hope the employers do not
take any drastic action against employees who are unable to attend work during
this critical period," he said.Read more: Sydney Morning Herald Asian haze set to become worst on record; MTUC Media report Source: Risks 722

US: Cargo ship El Faro lost –
debris spottedMissing cargo ship El Faro, hit by powerful Hurricane Joaquin last
Thursday, is believed to have sunk off the Bahamas, the US Coast Guard said on
Monday. It said the search continued for possible survivors among the 32 other
mostly American crew in what maritime experts are calling the worst cargo shipping
disaster involving a US-flagged vessel since 1983. The ship had 33 crew members
– 28 US citizens and five Polish nationals.
While the search was continuing, and to date only one body has been
recovered, the likelihood of finding survivors is increasingly slim. The US
Coast Guard yesterday released photos of what is believed to be debris from the
ship. The president of the Seafarers International Union, Michael Sacco, said,
"As the search for the El Faro mariners continues, our thoughts and prayers remain
with them and their families. In this age when we are all accustomed to instant
information and quick answers, it has been an agonizing wait these last few
days." Read more: SIA Media statement
Sources: ABC News; CNN;

Research

Workplaces not prepared for extreme
heatAccording to a study done in August of this year, many Australian workplaces are not managing heat-related hazards. Researchers surveyed 180 occupational health and safety professionals, such as occupational hygienists, for their views on these hazards, in particular given temperature increases projected due to climate change; how prepared workplaces are for extreme heat; and barriers to implementing heat stress prevention measures. Most professionals were concerned about the hazards of extreme heat, but about one in five were did not believe workplaces were taking adequate measures. While some industries, such as mining and construction, had implemented hot weather plans and measures, many had not. This included sectors where workers would be particularly at risk – such as the agricultural sector. Of concern is that the most common heat prevention measure was the provision of cool drinking water – not a control at all. Employers should be looking to develop and implement thorough heat policies, and do this in consultation with elected health and safety representatives. See this page for advice and draft policies: Heat.Read more: Xiang, J & Ors: Perceptions of Workplace Heat Exposure and
Controls among Occupational Hygienists and Relevant Specialists in Australia, PLOS One, 19 August 2015.

Metalworking fluids linked to
irreversible lung diseaseOccupational
exposure to a fluid commonly used in metal machining operations may be related
to a rare, irreversible and disabling lung disease, according to research
presented last week at the European Respiratory Society's (ERS) international
congress in Amsterdam. Although metalworking fluid is known to be associated
with the lung diseases asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis - an allergic
type of pneumonia – this research appears to be the first to establish that
exposure to metalworking fluid is associated with lymphocytic bronchiolitis. In
this condition, an over-production of immune cells damages the smallest airways
in the lung.

Dr
Kristin Cummings, a respiratory health specialist from the US government's
occupational health research body NIOSH, was part of a team that investigated
the cause of this rare disorder after four cases were diagnosed at a
manufacturing facility where metalworking fluid was employed in a number of
processes. The researchers interviewed and measured the lung function of 388
workers who worked at the facility. "Although workplace exposures were
generally low, we found that workers with higher workplace exposure to the
fluid reported more symptoms than those with less exposure," said Dr Cummings.
"However, their lung function was about the same, regardless of exposure
levels. The finding of symptoms with normal lung function could mean that some
workers are at risk of developing the disease as well." Several of the workers
with lymphocytic bronchiolitis are now disabled and unable to work, and at
least one has required supplemental oxygen. The disease appears to be
irreversible, the researchers noted. Recommending that exposure levels be kept
"at the lowest level possible," Dr Cummings added: "The recognition of the
work-relatedness of lung disease is important for those who are exposed to
similar conditions in the same workplace, and in others worldwide." Read more: ELF news release Source: Risks 722

Lead (and other other) exposure affects school
performance

Lead is an accumulative poison. Early symptoms of lead exposure include headaches, fatigue, irritability, nervousness, high blood pressure, sleeplessness, pain in joints, aching muscles, poor appetite, weight loss, stomach pains and constipation. More severe effects of lead exposure such as damage to the nervous system, kidney damage, sterility and birth defects, anaemia, and interference with the body's blood forming mechanism – and children are more susceptible than adults.

A new study published
in has revealed a link between the academic performance of primary school
students in mining towns and their exposure to environmental contamination. The
researchers from Sydney's Macquarie University focused on Broken Hill in remote
New South Wales where students who performed poorly in the National Assessment
Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) were found to either live or attend
school in areas with high amounts of lead, arsenic, and cadmium in the soil and
air. Mark Taylor, a professor of environmental science
at Sydney's Macquarie University, said "The difference between children
attending schools in areas with the maximum soil lead risks compared to the
lower soil lead risk is 20 NAPLAN points, or about 5 per cent."

Regulator News

Safety SoapboxThe editorial in the latest edition of WorkSafe's Safety Soapbox, posted on October 1, is
on the West Gate Bridge collapse. As well as news from around the country, the
newsletter also has links to a number of Victorian and other regulator Safety
Alerts.

There
were 57 Reported Incidents (attached to Safety
Soapbox) in the construction, utility, quarrying and mining industries from
10 – 24 September 2015, and include: include: 26 near misses, five fractures,
12 lacerations, five electric shocks and one burn. There seemed to be a high
number of potentially very serious 'near misses', including power lines being
struck, gas lines being ruptured, and a fire. Access the October 1 Safety Soapbox edition
online, including link to the list of reported incidents.

Safe Work
Australia

Australia-wide
fatalities There
has not been an update to the SWA fatality statistics since our last journal –
when, as at September 24, 120 Australian workers had been killed while at work.
More information on which industries the fatalities occurred in is accessible
on the Safe Work Australia Work-related
fatalitiespage.

SWA has released the monthly fatality report for June May
2015 – during which there were 15 work-related notifiable fatalities during
June 2015 - 12 male workers, two male bystanders and one female bystander. Of
these fatalities, three workers died as a result of an incident on a public
road and one worker died in an air crash. Six fatalities occurred in Transport,
postal & warehousing workplaces, five in Agriculture, forestry &
fishing workplaces and two in Construction workplaces. Electricity, gas, water
& waste services and Manufacturing workplaces had one fatality each.
The report can be downloaded from the Safe Work Australia Monthly Fatalities Reportspage.

Safe Work
Australia releases vibration guidance SWA has just release Workplace vibration guidance materiaI. Australian workers are exposed to vibration in a range of
industries including mining, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, forestry
and fisheries, trades, transport and utilities.

There were approximately 5260 workers' compensation claims for
injuries or illness attributed to exposure to vibration over the past 14 years,
costing $134 million in workers' compensation payments.

Safe Work Australia's guidance material on exposure to vibration
in workplaces includes general guides and information sheets for workers and
those managing workers who are, or may be exposed to vibration. There are also
guides to help work health and safety professionals measure and assess
vibration in workplaces.

The Workplace vibration guidance material available from the Safe
Work Australia website includes:

Guide to measuring and assessing workplace exposure to hand-arm vibration

Guide to measuring and assessing workplace exposure to whole-body vibration

Guide to managing the risks of exposure to hand-arm vibration in workplaces

Guide to managing the risks of exposure to whole-body vibration in workplaces

Information sheet: hand-arm vibration, and

Information sheet: whole-body vibration.

Check out SWA
electronic safety kitIf
you haven't checked it out yet, go to SWA's electronic
information kit to help employers raise
work health and safety awareness within their organisations. The kit includes a
number of safety posters, fact sheets and key safety statistics that can be
printed and used in the workplace.

SWA
CEO Michelle Baxter encouraged employers to get involved in the many activities
and events planned for Safe Work Month, including the agency's free Virtual
Seminar Series, which will broadcast daily on the latest WHS research and safe
work design. More information on National Safety Month

Useful materials

From Canada's WorkSafe BC: new guidance, including videos and posters especially developed for Room Attendants. Working in hospitality is hard physical work – check out these resources now

From EU-OSHA: OSH Management in the context of an ageing workforce The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work says: "Older workers are a growing part of the workforce. As people work for longer, management of OSH for an ageing workforce has become a priority." Australia too has an ageing workforce, with many workers putting off retirement and having to stay at work for longer.